Enchocian Lullaby
by CallMeBilesSourWolf
Summary: Cas has always sat by Dean's bed at night, protecting him during his sleep, but tonight Dean needs more than just a vigil protector.


Dean wakes with a start, eyes thrown open to escape his nightmare. Cas stops speaking abruptly at Dean's inhale, coming to consciousness so quickly. Dean stays still under his blanket, staring at the ceiling, feeling Cas's eyes on him, both not saying a word.

"You okay Dean?" Cas's voice is soft yet still low and grumbly.

"Mmhmm" is all Dean could respond with after a few moments, a small nod accompanying the sound.

"What was the nightmare about?" Cas remains in the chair that's made a home kitty corner to the foot of the bed.

"Sammy….dying" Dean is slow to respond, eyes still stuck on the old plaster ceiling. He stays still, laying in the half turn he did when waking abruptly, his legs crossed sideways on the mattress while his shoulders lay flat below his pillow. He didn't realize he had been sweating, but as the moments ticked on, he could feel it cooling on his exposed skin and warming unpleasantly under his back against the bed. He chances a glance down to look at Cas. Concern is etched into the angel's face, tight lips motionless, and a light grace glow to his already ocean blues.

"Cas, I'm fine. Really. Power down, okay?" Dean huffs and gathered the blanket under his chin, rolling onto his other side, back to Cas.

"Dean…." Cas started, but ran out of words, knowing Dean wouldn't listen anyway. Cas sat, unmoving, watching Dean breathe even breaths. Waiting to see his shoulders go limp from sleep again, but long minutes passed and Cas knew Dean was still awake. He wanted to help Dean, ease his worry, frustration or fear, whichever Dean was feeling.

"Cas, what were you speaking when I woke up?" Dean asked without turning over.

"Enochian." Cas stated.

"Why?" Dean's voice creeped with confusion and concern.

"It was a chant of sorts. A harmless spell and lullaby combination. Close to a charm."

Dean flops over to look at Cas, eyebrows stitched together. He wasn't understanding what Cas was getting it. He knew Cas took up residence in his room each night after he fell asleep, and left before he woke up. He'd never admit it to Sammy, but it helped him sleep at night. Those required four hours he needed each night slowly crept up to six or seven over the years since Cas kept vigil at the foot of his bed. He felt better rested and wasn't as on edge as he used to be. But he was confused as to why Cas was speaking in Enochian charms while he slept.

"What? Why?" was all Dean could muster out after a few seconds of staring at Cas.

"It usually helps. When you have a nightmare enochian seems to calm you down. You usually don't wake up and the nightmare disappears from your memory. You don't seem to recall you had one." Cas folds his hands together in his lap, calmly explaining as if was as normal as going to the bank.

"You do this often?" Dean sat up in bed, the blanket falling to his lap as he sat to face Cas.

"You've been having them a lot lately. Before, when they first started, just giving you reassurance in enochian was enough to stop them. But it appears I've needed to start reciting charms to make them go away. I've only needed to do this twice before tonight. Your nightmares are escalating." Cas had relaxed, his eyes fading back to their normal blue, focused on Dean like he did in the early days of their acquaintance.

Dean didn't say anything, he was concentrated in thought at the news he was being told. It was possible Cas was telling truths, he didn't remember any nightmares, but he had woken up the last couple days with a feeling of dread. The charms weren't working as well as Cas had supposed, certainly not tonight since he had woken himself up despite Cas's best efforts.

Slowly the thought grew in his mind, small and undetectable at first, but as it became more rooted in his mind, Dean realized he wasn't opposed to it and glanced a look at Cas. Cas sat still, hadn't moved a muscle, waiting to see what Dean would say next. His best friend, protector of his dreams, the one who took it upon himself to be there for him while he slept, just like how Dean used to do for Sam in those hotels most of their life. Dean swallowed hard once and looked back at Cas, holding his gaze before speaking.

"Would you like to lay in the bed with me? Maybe that will keep the nightmares away." Dean asked quietly. Cas's eyes darted to the bed beside Dean, unsure what Dean was really intending.

"You're inviting me to bed?" Cas asked unsure.

"Well…..yes." Dean moved the blanket so Cas could get under the covers. Cas stood and took a step towards the side of the bed. He moved slowly, cautiously, and with short movements, wondering if Dean was playing him. He reached down to grab the blanket, starting the movement to get in the bed when Dean quickly said, "Cas, not in all your jackets and shoes!"

"Right, yes." he flicked his shoes off at the side of the bed and carefully shed both his trench coat, jacket and when Dean eyed the tie, that too and laid them carefully on the chair. He went back to the side of the bed and Dean scooted over to give him more room. He climbed in and stiffly laid down flat on his back, eyeing Dean.

"Well get comfortable." Dean said and gestured with his hand in a way that Cas didn't understand the meaning of.

"Uhh…" was all Cas could manage.

"Just any old way Cas, it's fine." Dean laid back down, his back towards Cas and pulled the blanket up over his shoulders again. He shifted a few times before settling down and Cas kept a side glance on Dean as he himself lay stiff as a board on the bed.

Sounds were different from this angle, he could hear Dean's breathing through the bedding. He could feel the weight both he and Dean put on the mattress and the dim light from the salt lamp Dean kept in the corner of the room for "healing purposes" cast unfamiliar shadows on the ceiling he never noticed before.

He didn't need the light to see Dean, Dean's soul emanated with a soft green from within and it didn't ebb and flow like Sam's dark orange did. Cas was just getting used to all the new versions of the senses in the room when Dean, without warning, decided to flop to his other side, to face Cas on the bed. While Cas was taking in everything he hadn't been dialed into Dean's conscious state. He was in the partially asleep phase, awake enough to feel physical discomfort and the need to shift positions, but asleep enough to not notice he wasn't in the bed alone anymore.

Cas moved his head to watch Dean move, tracking how Dean wiggled to get comfortable on his right side. Long seconds passed into a minute of Dean's subconscious trying to get settled before it gave up and Dean woke back up fully. His eyes crept open, sight slowly making its way to his brain for processing. Cas still hadn't moved from his back and Dean registered his arm outside the blanket, realization slamming hard and causing Dean to jump when he came to fully.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to….this is was your idea." Cas gruffed out.

"It's okay. I forgot. How long was I out?" Dean asked.

"Not even five minutes. I wasn't even sure you fell asleep fully."

"It felt like I did." Dean's voice was already fading, his eyes closed again, like he couldn't help but fall back asleep.

"Sleep well Dean." Cas's mouth twitched to smile as Dean quickly fell asleep and limp next to him. Cas opted to stay as he was, not wanting to startle Dean back awake by moving. He had always stayed stone still in the wooden chair every night, so tonight would be no different. He wouldn't move a muscle to let Dean sleep peacefully inches away from him.

It had been maybe five minutes or twenty, maybe an hour, Cas hadn't noticed the track of time when Dean shifted again, this time he moved closer to Cas, his body searching for the warmth in the bed. Cas still didn't move, waiting to see what Dean would do. Dean soon reached his shoulder and his hands started to pull at Cas's arm, trying to manipulate Cas into a cuddle even in his sleep. Cas went with Dean's unconscious demands and wrapped his left arm around Dean who had worked his head onto Cas's shoulder before finally settling down. He held Cas around his waist and went limp against him, Dean's breathing slowing and growing deep.

Cas chanced a small move of his own after a long while, bringing his free arm to rest on Dean's that was holding onto him and turning his head to rest in Dean's hair. He felt a flush of calm go through himself when Dean responded by squeezing him tight for a moment before relaxing back. He smiled into the tops of Dean's bed head hair and closed his eyes, even though he didn't need sleep. He wouldn't be able to sleep even if he tried, but closing them brought him closer to Dean somehow and anyway he could do that was worth it.

The remainder of the night was spent in this motionless embrace between the two of them. Cas didn't rise to leave as he usually did when he sensed Dean rousing from slumber. He was still being held onto and he wasn't in any rush to give it up. As Dean came to slowly he flexed muscles and hugged Cas tight a few times in the process. The feeling alerted Dean to the body he was holding onto and he remembered it was Cas.

Dean angled his head up to come eye to eye to Cas at mere centimeters. His eyes danced between Cas's blues and a smile formed wide and bright seeing his best friend staring back at him and holding him.

"Good morning" Cas's voice was soft and light, the complete opposite of its usual growl.

"Morning Cas. I sleep well?" Dean jokes, knowing Cas hadn't gotten a wink himself.

"You did. Better than ever if I'm being honest." Cas stated.

"Well then, you best make this your new nightly routine." Dean shuffled closer to Cas, if that was possible.

"Really?" the hope flooded Cas's chest, anxiously waiting on Dean's reply.

"Yes. On one condition."

"Name it." Cas didn't realize how much he'd give up to be this close to Dean every night. Dean huffed a chuckle, quickly correcting his reaction back to lighthearted.

"We've gotta find you proper sleep wear. This shirt can't be comfortable." Dean picked at the white button down Cas was always in.

"I don't have anything else." Cas replied sadly.

"It's okay, you can wear something of mine. My old AC/DC shirt and pj pants possibly." Dean's face lit up at the thought.

"Okay." Cas smiled.

"Okay. Now I don't smell coffee yet, so Sam's not up. Tell me an enochian lullaby, I'd like a bit more shut eye before leaving this bed." Dean laid his head back down on Cas's shoulder and closed his eyes. Cas happily obliged.


End file.
